Backup and Restore Windows 10 Pro

Hi,

I don't think that cloning is an issue.. Normally cloning software has the ability to resize partitions and etc. as needed to fit a smaller drive.. Within reason of course..

WindowsImageBackup requires that the disk receiving the image is the EXACT same size or larger for the process to work.. I have had threads in which a HDD\SSD was maybe only 5mb smaller, or even less, and WindowsImageBackup would refuse to proceed.. It will cut you absolutely no slack on that issue..

It is possible that WindowsImageBackup has issues with a drive of a different manufacturer as well.. It is incredibly picky as to what it will accept.. I will see if I have anything laying around to test that..

I believe we are getting off track. None of what you say about issues with a drive of a different manufacturer is true, because, as I stated before, I have been using them together for years, but thanks for the comments.

I have attempted to restore an image backup in several ways, with the same results. The normal or regular way is to use the Windows backup and Restore, Windows 7 style, since that was how I created the backup. When you create a backup you have the chance to Create a system repair disk, which is a bootable disk, which the only thing it does is to put Windows in Recovery mode where you have several Options and one of them is to Recover or Restore an image file and basically it is the same as the Windows 7 restore procedure.

The way I see it, now that none of my laptops, which include the ones with no problems, can actually recognize or find the WindowsImageBackup file in my USB drives, is that Microsoft has screwed up this part of the Restore or Recovery, or whatever you want to call it. As I said, I was in contact with Microsoft level 2 support, where the agent had control of my computer and basically had me go over all the things that I had already tried and finally gave up and said she had schedule for someone from level 3 call me yesterday within a 2 hour window, which never happen.

I have been using Windows ever since it practically started. I have three Lenovo laptop, two of which are very close model wise and I cloned the hard disk, knowing that it might not work because of differences in hardware, etc,, and put the cloned disk in the one with the problems, and it booted up and worked, and then I attempted to do the Restore operation, knowing that it might not work, and again with the same results. This was done before this morning, which is when I attempted to use the Restore feature in the second good laptop and realized that it did not work either, so my conclusion is that Windows has messed it up. Right now none of the backups I have in my USB drives for my 4 laptops are good or can be used in the future for fixing problems which require restoring an old backup, So, as I said, MIcrosoft messed up realy good this time.

I tried to look online for Backup and Restore apps which might work with the image file created by Windows, but none do.

Hi,

Just to clarify... You are using bootable media in your attempts to "Recover an Image" ?

You have mentioned "Restore" and this is not the correct function for an image..

Restore references a "System Restore", not reloading an image..

Again, just to clarify we are on the same page..

I do synpathize with you on this.. There have been times when my saved images worked perfectly, and times when I could not get them to be recognized.. The issues have become more frequent as the Windows Imaging Tool is no longer supported..

I will try an image and see what happens on my machine..

Thanks for replying, but I have not renamed the folder, it is on the root drive of a partition (H}, not a copy, and I tried creating a new Repair CD with the recent and updated installation of Windows, but the same results. The USB drive that I use in this case has several partitions and each has a letter assigned to it and there is nothing else in that partition other the image file. As I said, I have done this many many times over the years with various laptops, and, if I am not mistaken, have done it under similar conditions: reformatted drive and newly installed Windows. Again, I repeat, even when I tried to use restore with a laptop that has not had any problems, the USB drives or files in them are not seen or detected and I know I have restored an image from this laptop and the USB drives, but now it does not work?

Hi,

I have encountered similar problems multiple times for seemingly various reasons..

Renaming the WindowsImageBackup folder will cause this..

The WindowsImageBackup folder must also be on the Root of the drive..

D:\WindowsImageBackup as an example..

I have found at times that the image will only be recognized on the original drive it was saved to.. Not a copy..

Another thing that will cause this is if the Repair CD or Installation Media being used to Recover the image is not of a equal to or newer version than the image..

Media from 2020 will not Recover an image of a 2021 build of Windows 10 for instance..